KOTA KINABALU: Receiving her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Merdeka Day today, a pregnant mother said it made her feel 'liberated' as she was taking a step to protect herself and her unborn child.
Sarfiana Bastani, 28, who is five-months pregnant received her first dose at Padang Merdeka here, a historic place where the late Tun Fuad Stephens declared Sabah a partner in Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
In previous years, the venue had been used for the celebration of the state-level National Day and Malaysia Day.
"Coincidentally it is my day off today and also the right time for me to get vaccinated," said Sarfiana who works as a salesperson.
"I know there are many centres offering walk-in vaccination, but this is a perfect venue as there are less people and it is held at an open area," she said, adding that such an environment made her feel safer.
Medical officer Dr Rahimah Rasali said the three-day programme, which began yesterday, is targeting 500 people to be vaccinated every day.
"Yesterday, we managed to give 476 first Sinovac doses. As of now (11.30am), we have administered about 200 doses.
"This programme is open to all, citizens and non-citizens, as we want to transit to the third phase of the National Recovery Plan by ramping up the vaccination rate up to 60 per cent," she told the New Straits Times.
The state capital has several mega vaccination centres such as Wisma Wanita, Sabah International Convention Centres, Sabah Federal Administrative Complex, Universiti Malaysia Sabah among others.
Dr Rahimah also added that the Kota Kinabalu Health office and district Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force have also been doing outreach programmes at rural areas and areas under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
There are 396,000 eligible vaccine recipients, aged 18 and above, in the city.
As of Aug 27, 81.3 per cent of the city folk had received their first dose of the vaccine.
The team initially wanted to run the programme at an EMCO area in Sinsuran, but it ended sooner than the scheduled period.
"We moved it to Padang Merdeka here, which coincided with the National Day.
"Our motto now is to free ourselves from Covid-19 as part of the spirit for today's celebration.
"It is also to help our frontliners, including journalists, police and people's volunteers corp, as we all have worked so hard. It is the civilians' turn to do their part."
